Just starting to learn, need help

[DennisM]

My home was broken into recently and they took all of my guns. I hope to be moving from Georgia to Montana next year, and I will be buying one rifle to start with. I need something to hunt Elk, White-tail, and maybe some other criters that I have never seen here in Georgia. I would like advice on rifle, caliber, and optics. I will only be able to spend $1000.00 to start with.

 

[BountyHunter]

Caliber is easy. 300 WSM. Will handle up to the 200 gr very well but really shines with 180s which is more than enough for anything except large bear. Seems to have up to 2x barrel life compared to other 30 cal magnums and slightly less felt recoil. Factory cartridges everywhere now.

Guns- can make strong arguement for both savages, winchesters and rem off the shelf. I just bought a Rem 700 SPS (24" barrel) for $439 in 300 WSM. Will have my smith lap the lugs, adjust the trigger and I am changing stocks. Cost will be about $250-300 more. Most factory guns can be worked over with lugs, trigger and bedding for under $200.

Scopes- for the money the Nikon series ($300)is hard to beat. So are sightons also.

BH

 

[screech]

I would go with a wsm in either an 300 or 7mm. savage or remington. As for optics I dont have suggestions unless you can afford burris or night force. There the only ones I have really dealt with personally and I like both but they cost more $$$$ than your wanting to spend. Hope you can get more good info from others.

 

[DennisM]

Thanks for the help guys. Well, It's either the 7mm Rem Mag or the 300 wsm. What do you guys think about the Tikka for a factory rifle.

 

[sniper2]

I have a Savage mod.116 weather warrior in 300 RUM the SAK mod that has a brake and is pillar bedded, shoots bug holes and have shot small group at 635yds.+or- 2" all I did to it was adjust trigger to 1 3/4lbs. has a 8.5X25 Leupold on using 180gr handloads. I don't advise getting one of these as it doesn't kick much and is deadly accurate and you would probably waste too much ammo! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[grit]

I have a winchester and a savage. I like them both. Accutrigger is very nice, and the rifle's $200 less then the Winchester. The Winchester has a boss/brake which is nice.

Cousin Johny got a Tikka a little while ago 270wsm. This is a good lookin', accurate rifle. The trigger is nice (self adjustable), the stock is much more rigid than the winchester or savage, and the price is in the middle. Nice gun. Has a plastic clip, I'm reserving judgement on. And as I don't own it, I haven't taken it apart. Out of the box, it shoots factory loads into 5/8" at 100.

Between a 7mag and 300 wsm, I choose the 300. Never could convince myself to buy a 7mm. The 270 gets 'er done without the wear and tear on shooter and equiptment. Suppose by the same lines, so does the 06 or 308. But I own a 300wm. Still, unless my wife wants the 270, I shoot it.

Optics:
I favor Nikon and Burris, as I think you get the most bang for your dollar. Burris offers the ballistic plex. I like it.

You can put any of these rifles and scopes together for $1000.

Sorry to hear about your break in. I recently had a favourite saddle stolen. Fortunately, by touring pawn shops for a week, I found it. Wish I'd of been home to use one of them guns....

 

[DennisM]

What can you guys tell me about the Browning A-bolt rifles. Just want to cover all the bases before I make a decision. Thanks for all the help. Sounds like it will be a 300wsm.

 

[Jon A]

I like A-Bolts a lot. Our family now has five of them--my Dad just picked up a 325. He took deer, elk and antelope with it this year.

They're typically very accurate out of the box for such light rifles with skinny barrels. We haven't tried any of the Varmint/Eclipse models with heavier barrels so I can't say if they'd be worth it or not. Here's my 300 RUM:

In a couple months I should be able to report on accuracy potential with a quality (Lilja) tube screwed on. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[bailey1474]

Stay away from Browning and Winchester. I sell these things and have trouble sleeping at night when I sell one of these to someone. Especially the Win. I've seen some very sloppy machining on various parts of the Win. I really don't have anything to base my opinion on the Browning off of, other than the fact that there are not very many aftermarket parts for them and you very rarely here of a smith building a rifle on one. Go w/a Savage or Tikka. I think both will have more accuracy potential. Just my opinion. Take it for what it's worth.

 

[screech]

I would also stay away from the browning or winchester. I just havent had the high rate of success with them as I do the remingtons or savages. I hate to say this because I'll admit to being a die hard remington fan but the savage will probably out shoot a remington when dealing with factory rifles. But the remington will be right on its heals if not equal with it. I dont think you could do wrong with the 300wsm or the 7mm wsm. Have a nice day

 

[MT4XFore]

'fish", It's kinda like asking whether ya should buy a Chevy or a Ford, huh? Well, I got both a 7mm Mag and a 30 cal. Mag. Either one will do the job up here. I personally prefer the 7mm Mag cause I prefer 7mm, period. Mine is a Browning too, however it has been dramitically altered with a custom thumbhole stock. Browning A-Bolts are ok, but I suspect that the gunsmiths on this forum will tell you that their factory synthetic stocks are made by Rubbermaid and restocking one is a PITA cause there is virtually nothing to bed to on the action. They have to build pillars in order to bed them correctly, hence it's an expensive proposition. The short bolt throw is nice and they have a pretty good trigger. As for the WSM's , again, personally I dont care for them. They dont do anything any better than the "fullsize" magnums. All this is purely one man's opinion and by no means am I any kind of expert. Good luck with your upcoming move up here to God's country. Please, dont encourage anyone else to move up, ok? I kinda like the wide open spaces!!!! More critters than people, YEAH!!!!!
Jim

 

[KRob]

I use a savage116 300wm great rifle, and pretty cheap. One problem i have with savage, (and thats all i use) Is the snthetic stocks are alittle on the cheesy side and the recoil pads on those stocks are pure crap. So you might have to spend the money to put a new recoil pad on (at most 40 if you do it)or change the stock (probably starting at arouund 100).

Savage offers a package deal that you get along with the rifle some other stuff part of it being a scope rings and bases. The scope is not the best optics but it will work for awhile if you want to spread the expenses out. Simmons 3-9x40 was the last package i saw.

 

[Jon A]

[ QUOTE ]
They have to build pillars in order to bed them correctly, hence it's an expensive proposition.

[/ QUOTE ]
That's a good point. I would expect most gunsmiths would charge more because it is labor intensive (at least it was for me!). I avoided the cost by learning how to do it myself--used regular ol' Rem 700 pillars, just ground them to fit. It's somewhat of a PITA but very doable for anybody willing to learn how to pillar bed and bed in general. It just takes a bit more time.

Another option, if getting a McMillan stock, is to just have them do it. Their bedding jobs are first rate, from what I hear and I don't believe they charge any more for doing an A-Bolt. I'd confirm they were going to pillar bed it by speaking with them first though--I know some gunsmiths who pillar bed everything else only do the front of A-Bolts. I'm assuming McMillan would do a job at least as good, probably better than I did. In fact, I'd really like to see pics of an A-Bolt they had done just to see if I did it right! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

MT4XFore, are yours pillar bedded? If so, I'd like to see pics if you have any.

 

[Geezer]

I recently got a Savage Mod 16 in .300 WSM, my first high-power rifle after 30+ years of pistol shooting. Couldn't be more pleased. Shooting off the bench with a bi-pod it stays well under MOA at 100yds with my initial attempts at load development. The recoil was a bit much at first, so I got a Limb-Saver slip-on recoil pad, and that really cut down the trauma, even if it doesn't add to the asthetics. . The synthetic stock does flex a bit, but if you get good clearance before tightening things up, it seems to avoid hitting the barrel. Now if I can just find an accessable range over 100yds here in NOVA, I'll try it at distance.